Nashville Mayor David Briley has brought on a new aide to lead his administration's affordable housing efforts.

Briley on Friday announced the appointment of Hannah Davis as his new affordable housing program manager, filling a void that opened following last year's resignation of former Mayor Megan Barry.

Davis has worked most recently as director of community for the Social Enterprise Alliance, a national organization that provides support and resources to social enterprises.

The mayor's office has lacked affordable housing personnel for months following the departures of Adriane Bond-Harris, housing director under Barry, and Morgan Mansa, the Barnes Fund for Affordable Housing program manager under Barry. Both left over the summer.

In her new role, Davis will primarily oversee the Barnes Fund program, which functions by offering financial incentives to developers who build affordable and workforce housing.

“Affordable housing is a top priority for my administration and finding the right person for this job has taken time but has been well worth the wait,” Briley said in statement.

“Hannah has spent her professional life bringing people together to enact positive social change — a skill that is essential for us to maximize the impact of the Barnes Fund and to help ensure affordable housing options for our workforce and for those in need."

Davis, who has a bachelor's degree from Ohio State University and an MBA from the Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise program at Colorado State University, started working in the mayor's office Monday.

At the Social Enterprise Alliance, the mayor's office said, Davis has worked on "Impact Lab," a week-long program to help social enterprises with outside investment, among other initiatives.

Nashville's shortage of affordable housing is widely seen as one of the city's biggest challenges amid rapid gentrification in neighborhoods in the urban core.

Briley has committed $9.5 million for the Barnes Fund for the current fiscal year and another $25 million for a new homeless services center proposed for downtown.